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Tag Archives: vacation

In September, I got married. and it was the most incredible day ever. I have a lot to say about it but I’m waiting until I have one more piece… our wedding video. As a blogger and someone interested in recording our lives in some digital form, a journal of sorts – this blog… {possibly a new domain / name some day as I transition into being on a team}… I’m basically bursting @ the seams to blog about all the details and share it in the webspace for friends & family to experience. Some things just are worth the wait, you know? xx

In the meantime, i have a lot on my mind. And it basically has to do with what our time here on earth is made of. Deep, I know, but get to it… and this is my blog. A bit before we went to Hawaii (next post!), I’d been doing a lot of soul-searching. Life is so incredibly short… what do I want to make up my time while I’m here?

My now husband (eek!), showed me this video when we were lounging on Maui and I think the world needs to watch it, if they haven’t already. And if you have? Watch it again. And make your loved ones watch it. Put your life into perspective and consider with what you’re spending your 24 hours each day doing.

Um, whoa. I had a small internal panic attack when I watched that. Why didn’t someone show me that in high school? Freshman year?… When we were worried about the most trivial of things, stressed-out and drama-filled with events like Prom (who let me spend so much money on those high school formals?!… easily $5K… cringe).

As an adult, I’m trying to spend a bit of time each day reading sites like Quora or watching TED videos. To keep my brain fresh, keep it thinking. A few days ago, I read a question posted on Quora titled, “How can I thoroughly screw up my life.” Now, that’s a pretty deep inquiry. The answer, linked below, by Raqhav Upmanyu has many thoughts I align with. Especially now, as I’m in this phase of contemplation; wanting to shape my life in a way that brings fulfillment / happiness / experiences.

And I know this is entirely an opinion, so take everything he says with a grain of salt or whatever. But it’s a perspective I somewhat align with. It makes me think hard about what I want to make of my time left. He starts out saying the biggest mistake you can make is becoming a statistic and “settling for being a useless part of the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.” Me? I can’t live like that. I can’t be put through the motions and do a 9 to 5 in a cubicle and come out on the other end tired, stressed, lacking sleep, motivation and drive. That is exactly what I would turn into. And it’s not just in the business realm. I found myself watching the Oscars last night. At the end of it, I thought, ‘I just wasted 3 hours on something I don’t have any interest whatsoever in. I hadn’t seen a single movie that was nominated!? Emily, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” I could have been designing cards for my etsy business, reading the book I can’t seem to get through, laughing & connecting with my beautiful mama, sorting through yet another bin of crap I’ve saved over the years with some thought of needing it in a future time (more on that purging process later).

All in all, I want to get down on paper that today is February 29, 2016, Leap Day, an extra day for free just cause. I’m committing to making whatever mindset I’m chasing a reality. I want to make this life fulfilling and get everything I can out of it. I want to do things I enjoy doing, that bring me happiness and flex my creative muscles. I want to travel as much as possible. I want to experience everything. I want to take chances. I want to love crazily. I don’t want to be stressed. I don’t want to be burnt out. I want to be fresh + real + alive. I want to laugh + be optimistic + positive for 95% of my life. And yes, this a ridiculously lofty, insane goal but why can’t I try to shoot for it? It’s worth it to me to try.

Please don’t take this post as me pointing fingers. This is my online space to speak what’s on my mind; this is what I want to capture. And have my kids read someday. Hopefully they’ll think their mother was the baddest woman that ever lived who strived to make the most of her existence.

If I could pick something, anything, that describes how I’m feeling currently. It would be this canvas bag from @sugarboodesigns

legit this day happened August 16, 2015, but a TON has happened since then anddddddd here we are. I need to wrap up this last day so I can move on to everything else that I’ve been meaning to blog about. 2016, you WILL be the year I get my blogging on track. on the regular. as often as I can / want / feel the need to.

VANCOUVER, our Saturday was race day, run around, explore & finish up with a wicked float tank experience. The next morning, we slept in a little, but not too much knowing this was our last day in ‘Couve.

We woke and decided an impromptu photo shoot on the sweet roof of our airbnb was in order. Somewhat coordinated tops and an hour later playing with the Camera Remote app on our Apple Watch’s produced these gems.

He snagged me this simple triangle necklace at Pike’s Place back in Seattle. Love it.

(under $30!)

the watch doesn’t fit well under the sleeves of this Lulu top when the thumbholes are in use… #priorities

We headed to 49th Parallel for a morning experience. I remember coming here the last few times I’ve been in town for the Lululemon Seawheeze weekend. It’s all sorts of fantastic espresso and Lucky’s Doughnuts. On the weekends is insane. Lines out the door for this joint. Wish there was one in Minnesota!

Any establishment with a line like that deserves to be experienced. A garage-style door lifts up where we were sitting, fresh air when the weather wants to cooperate.

Cool vibe and amazing peanut butter and jelly doughnuts like this one with the peanut crunchies.

baby espresso / wild mane / wake me up

I purchase a large latte cup & saucer for a souvenir. There’s something about this blueish-teal that strikes me as necessary.

We walk around the city and explore the sights. We have a photo shoot with the new cup and saucer. For nothing more than to kill time on a lazy Sunday afternoon in Vancouver. Reapplying more Peppermint Halo from Saje – an amazing essential oil + therapeutic shop in downtown Vancouver.

For lunch, we put our name on the list & wait another 45 minutes for a table at Medina Cafe. Now our favorite place for lunch on this side of the planet. Gold goblets of fresh water and all.

We had the Avocado Toast (duh), Saumon Fumé and a few of their signature Liege-Style Waffles [White Chocolate Pistachio Rosewater + Salted Caramel].

Everything about this spot was to die for. The bathroom had dimly lit displays nestled into the walls… their matchbox takeaways are square and the exact logo of their sign out front [obsessed, I took 3].

We slowly sauntered our way out of here and set out to explore more of the city. This was our last day, so we really wanted to take it all in!

When more directions are needed, we sit outside one of the many Starbucks available to us on every street corner (thanks!).

We explore the art installations scattered throughout town. Old world, modern, metal & sky-high. The sun is shining and we are traveling all over this town. New sights, fresh air, this is the mantra of a “feeling like a million bucks” pair of Midwesterners.

We got some Vegan Pudding & Co. from a tiny shop that took up all of 3feetwide street space between storefronts. Be jammin’ out to your music and you might totally pass it by. Shame. Keep your eyes open for these gems!

I cannot remember what flavor we selected but I’ll bet all my Lululemon Vinyasa Scarves that it was the Coconut Milk & Sugar one.

It was some sort of custardy-flany-syrupy-goodness dish and I wouldn’t hesitate to get another if given the chance. #seawheeze2016

We get back to the airbnb to have a FaceTime chat about our upcoming wedding with The Adventures Of videography team. A few hours of creative discussion and we are feeling very excited about our upcoming wedding video (to be delivered next week!).

We head to Granville Island Public Market via the public bus and walk the aisles, look at art, have some snacks, talk on the river… pet the local dogs waiting for their humans.

Who knows how much time passed. We switch back to nice clothing and head to a date night. We wanted a special spot, good food, awesome service, cool location… Yelp led us to Seasons in the Park.

The directions had us on a public transit bus for quite a while, headed somewhere into the suburban surrounding downtown Vancouver. We got off in a large public park. We hiked the sidewalks down, around, for what seemed like forever. We took pictures + took our sweet time, happily enjoying a beautifully warm evening.

We hiked a small, Mount Kilimanjaro-sized mountain to get to the restaurant. Breaking a small sweat and feeling the burn in our quads.

This was the first of 53 hills we climbed 🙂

Seasons on the Park has a view of all downtown Vancouver. We were seated at a huge glass window. As the sun set on the incredible view, you couldn’t help but feel like you were on another planet, looking at another colony, from a land far, far away. Gorgeous + galactic!

After dinner (fantastic, not a clue what we ate… but damn was it good!) We splurged and got espressos. This happens rarely… who are we kidding, we’ve never gotten them before. It seemed like a perfect idea for a day that has been one for the record books.

Vancouver: until next time, you gorgeous city!

ejh

Listening to this song because I heard it on Peaky Blinders [watch it!]

I’m going to give all credit to Carley on this one. She researched and booked the world’s most incredible brunch at Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley.

Let’s just say, this isn’t your standard 3-Michelin star restaurant. This place is, quite honestly, a friggin’ Swiss Family Robinson-style experience, complete with servers that have timed deliveries and round-table speeches to introduce each individual plate.

Our brunch took place outdoors on the wraparound deck overlooking California’s Napa Valley. I was half expecting to have chimpanzees swing onto our shoulders during the dessert course.

This is one of those, when in Rome, experiences – we all ordered a cocktail and cheers’ed to ending this first couple’s trip with a bang.

Bloody mary’s and mimosas all around! Of course, they were ordered using the table iPad in front of us.

The brunch menu looked a little like this. You choose a drink, a beginning, a sustenance, and a dessert.

By memory, Brett and I shared the half dozen oysters, the cow’s milk burrata with grilled radicchio, a Maine lobster omelet, a Kurobuto pork chop, and two fantastic desserts from this menu.

I know for sure we choose the Chocolate Peanut Butter one, and I couldn’t guess what the second one was. Let’s just say they both rocked our socks off. Finish up with a little cappuccino and we are ready to see that bill, server!

Somewhere along the lines of $700 and vacation, we didn’t care what this meal cost. Once in a lifetime, eating on a beautifully exotic deck overlooking Napa, with some of the best friends life could give us.

We took one more pano picture and all piled into the cars. Windows down, wind whipping our hair all over the place. We took the scenic route home. Along the rolling vineyards of Napa, promising ourselves we’ll be back some day.

We stopped at the nearby grocery store on the way to Oliviera, to pick up dinner supplies (I know, we just had brunch… but we didn’t want to have to drive again once we got home.) We taste-tested some frosting, picked up some grilling materials and a quinoa salad or two – then we headed back.

The rest of our last full day in paradise was spent laughing, listening to music, jumping in the hot tub, grilling and playing Cards Against Humanity.

Without going into the details of our sad goodbyes the next morning, let’s just say this trip was a terrific first couple’s trip – one we won’t soon forget.

Where will the next one take us? Locations we have thrown around : Hawaii, Colorado Backcountry, to the coast of North Carolina…

The world really is our oyster. And traveling in groups allows for a more exotic lodging experience since we’re splitting it 8+ ways…

Thank you for a truly memorable trip : Carley & AJ, Katie & Scott, Molly & Chris, and the best traveler I know and love, Brett

We wake up with barely a hangover. Win! Refuel with a little morning java and enjoy our patio before getting ready for the day and more importantly, before our limo arrives.

Since we already had a mug of coffee down the hatch. We figured it’s time to get the party started.… poppin’ bottles. Before you get worried about our alcohol intake, please remember, the whole point of renting a limo for this trip was the sole fact that we planned to be inebriated. As classy and sophisticated as we could… but definitely not sober.

Our first stop is one that we highly recommend for those visiting the Sonoma area.

St. Francis Winery & Vineyard. We scheduled their Food & Wine Pairing experience for 11am on a Friday afternoon filled with sunshine and cool breezes. This vineyard is built on some beautiful landscape (aren’t they all?) A very popular place for people to get married. Gorgeous mountains in the background.

The pairing took place inside a lovely structure, the doors open to the fresh air outside. There were two tables positioned half-circle style with the seating on the outside of the curves. The wine experts walked through and around as they introduced each pairing.

Each place setting had a leather-bound portfolio with the menu details & a notepad to write tasting notes in. I vaguely remember doodling hilarious stick figure pictures and Bob Marley quotes on mine… at one point during the experience, Brett looks over and exclaims, “My feet feel like cotton!” He is entirely enjoying himself, on top of the dosage of DayQuil (for his head cold) taken 30 minutes prior. It’s amazing what a little vino and a little acetaminophen will do to ignite the senses!

To be honest, I don’t even remember what all we had {so zoom in on this picture & read it!} Nevertheless, it’s true when they say pairing wine with a specific food enhances the flavors, it really works! The whole experience was a delight. Something we would do again in a heart beat.

Back in the limo we go. The next stop, Ledson Winery and Vineyards. Originally, it was being built as a home, with 17 acres of Merlot planted on the grounds. But as the structure was built, and the public became more interested, they ended up turning it into a vineyard and tasting room. (well played Ledson clan!) The structure is built with a French Normady-esque style, 16,000 square feet of woodwork and marble staircases. Never missing the opportunity for a photo op, we enjoyed the front garden area with beautiful white roses and fountains.

Their tasting room had wood floors and a beautiful bar area. We sidled up and started to learn about their vines. Little breadsticks were my saving grace as we sipped and sipped some more.

After the tasting, we bought a bottle and went out back on their patio. Some of us took naps in the sun : star-fished on the ground & loving life {cough, Carley}. We toasted to friendship & love, as we looked at the rows of vines grown there. What a neat place to have a summer party or a murder mystery dinner!

A pretty spectacular roundup of the troops and we’re onto the next one! Benziger Family Winery for the win! This next one is a little blurry for me. Understandably so; three vineyards in and I’m reaching my limits.

We made a pit stop potty break upon arrival (extremely necessary says the girl with the squirrel-sized bladder). Then we hop on an extended golf cart for a tour of the vineyards. Our tour guide explained the wine-making process at their location and the background story of the family that built Benziger into what it is today.

I’ll be honest, a lot of what he said went in one ear and out the other. We stopped along the tour at a little wooden hut and cracked open a white bottle of wine. He served it to us in logo-etched wine glasses – nice touch.

Cool little place. Gorgeous farm animals to fertilize the soil. Fluffy, mop-headed cows and little baby goats. Ten points to Gryffindor for the golf cart ride, as I was not about hiking all over those poo-filled rows of vines.

The middle of the tour took us into the wine caves where, guess what we did?… had some more vino. It’s a lot of traveling small distances and then drinking wine. Rinse & repeat.

There was a really neat room deep into the cave that we all grabbed a spot at. It felt very Knights of the Roundtable-esque, with tapestries hanging on the wall and unique art pieces.

In the wine cave, I got in trouble for trying to snag some more breadsticks, but, please, this was a girl looking after herself! Atleast some part of my mind knew I needed water and food. Stat.

We circled around the vineyards on the golf carf and finished the tour in their Main Bar / Tasting Room. I couldn’t tell you what took place in that space. The next thing I remember is getting into the limo and somehow making it home in one piece.

Now, THAT was a tour of Sonoma.

Dinner plans were supposed to involve a bacon-infused local hotspot called Zazu, but we couldn’t make it happen. We grabbed a variety of chicken breasts and brats at the grocery store to grill-out instead. And it rocked our socks off.

We wake up and the boys cook some eggs. A nest egg, as Brett calls them.

We giggle and catch up on the deck. Overlooking the mountain and unreal landscape. All of a sudden, the limo is on it’s way and we are rushing to pull ourselves together.

The limo pulled into the gravel driveway and the driver hops out to introduce himself. He opens the back door and we all pile in. Champagne, soda, water… there were glass champagne glasses and bottle openers. Living the life!

On our way to the first vineyard, our driver recommends we pull into a Whole Foods-like grocery store and pick up some lunch, since we were headed a little into the countryside and wouldn’t have many options. We all hop out, grab sandwiches, pasta salads, hummus, and in Brett’s case, head cold materials.

Our first vineyard stop was Ferrari-Carrano. This place looked like it was fresh out of Alice in Wonderland. The grounds were landscaped to perfection. Freshly-cut grass, sculptures, fountains, and beautiful vineyards as far as the eye could see. The building itself was a marble, cream-colored structure with ornate railings and large windows. The tasting was held in the basement, a spot called the Prevail Room.

Our directions were to choose 4 or 6 different wines on a small paper menu. The wines were poured and the 8 of us sat at a large table underneath beautiful black, exotic lighting fixtures. Downstairs is where the large room of wine barrels are located as well.

After Ferrari-Carano, we hop back in the limo and head towards Bella Vineyard & Wine Cave. Both Katie and I had great reviews from friends about this vineyard and really wanted to make it work. We pulled into Bella and the limo driver popped the trunk. In the back he had flatware and every other material needed for a picnic. Cool! He spread out a tablecloth and we all munched on the grocery store grub. It was nice (& necessary!) to get something in our stomach.

A dog that lives on the grounds begged for food : made the experience that much more welcoming. AJ gathered wine glasses so we could have some vino while lunching.

After eats, we walked into this cave-style area that was nestled underneath a hill. Towards the back it was dark and cold, but lively and filled with people tasting wine around a little bar area. We grabbed a small table and tasted our way through the menu. This was a really cool little place with lots of personal touches. I could picture a gorgeous wedding reception being held on the grounds.

We all hopped back in the limo and headed back towards Oliviera. Some of us weren’t feeling too hot and took a cat nap while the vineyards rolled by the windows. Brett got a head cold and was desperately trying to sleep it off (or was it too much Zin?)

Back in Glen Ellen, we lounged and rehydrated. The boys jumped in the hot tub and the ladies mixed some drinks. Towards the evening time, we dressed up and headed towards The Girl and the Fig. A small, local restaurant with high ratings. I was impressed that they were so conscious of wasted water & drought in the area. Fresh olives (pitted & non) were waiting as a starter, yay! We dined on Fig and Arugula Salad, a Cucumber Soup, Burgers and Pork Chops. The food was delicious (& expensive!), but worth the splurge.

I cannot remember what was so funny, but Carley almost giggle / choked to death. Luckily, nurse AJ was seated next to her.

We headed back towards Oliviera, in a food coma. Driving up the dark, steep, winding mountain towards home. We gathered enough energy to play a hilarious game of Cards Against Humanity before turning in for the night.

Is this what it feels like to live in Seattle? Everyday, it never fails, rain coming down. Drizzling, dreary, gray. Cold, windy, blustering. The only things I want to do are as follows, in no particular order:

I’m surprised how long I’ve waited to write another post. Other creative outlets have consumed me and made me whole… alas, here I am, back to blogging and so excited to share updates on my life. Let’s talk about NYC for a minute. Holy incredible! What a beautiful place! We spent a nonstop 72 hours of pure adventure, chasing the subway, laughing until we cried, spending romantic moments under the stars on the streets of Chinatown… I’m so incredibly blessed to be able to take opportunities to travel, and even more blessedly in love with the man I adventure with. Brett is such a rockstar traveler… he is spot on and undeniably smart – figuring out subway schedules, booking, planning… someday he may even become as good a planner as me…

Here are a few of my favorite images – I’ll describe them in a singular sentence.

Fresh off a 6am American Airlines flight and feeling like a pair of travel ninjas. Yes, he shaved his head (yes, it’s growing back quickly!)

A brief pause at Starbucks.. we felt it was appropriate considering the locals had one gripped in their right hand at all times. #caramelmacchiato

Walking around at night is a whirlwind, people everywhere & buildings as tall as the stars.

Enough said.

95% of the time we walked the streets, everywhere, these boots aren’t half as comfortable as my purple New Balance kicks.

The entire underground subway system was amazing, efficient, and the only way we’d travel.

SuperDry is a brand we love – smack dab in the middle of Times Square it sits. #shoppingspree

Love him.

NYC was our first adventure using airbnb – which absolutely rocks my socks off. We stayed in a Chelsea highrise apartment and shared the space with a woman from France, a couple from England and a younger gal from Vancouver. We had our own bedroom, shared everything else – what a perfect central spot to be able to affordably stay while in and out at all hours. The host is a middle aged man : extremely personable and ended up buying us drinks at a little place he DJ’s… The Crooked Knife. NYC, we’ll be back, many times!

Next post – I’ve launched a creative business that makes me wish I had written down all the witty remarks I made in college.

Blessed,

xo

High five to Amacci for proving himself worthy with this song. (more about him later)

We woke up at the crack of dawn (read: 5:20am) because our apartment we rented out this weekend is a small marathon-distance to the start of the Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon (oops!)

On account of the fact that I didn’t have an arm band (and none of the other girls did) – we all went iPhone-less. It made for a more focused and intimate experience. On our walk to the start line we found a coffee shop. And then the second stop brought us to a Starbucks to get espresso shots and use the restroom one more time (if you know what I mean…). The entire convention area was filled with runners in the most beautiful of attire. All Lululemon. It was chilly, we jumped around to keep warmed up and made jokes about people taking it too seriously… until that morning Molly wasn’t even going to run with us! I’m so glad all 5 got on the bandwagon. Threw on some teal crops and some running shoes, downed an espresso shot and took the bull by the horns!

The starting gun went off and into the Vancouver city-life we went. Tons of people cheering. Over bridges, up hills into neighborhoods. A good couple miles were spent running along a cement wall that bordered an inlet of the ocean. What an unbelievably beautiful run! We laughed and enjoyed ourselves. There’s one image of us floating around during the race – mid-run, that someone else took… and I’d rather it stay hidden on account of the fact that we all look drained and depleted of happiness – which wasn’t true! It was just taken at an unfortunate moment….!

At the finish line, we received a whole bunch of swag goodies. Some of these items went right up on eBay for the diehard fanatics… SkullCandy EarBuds ($21), a wooden finishers medal ($18), a canvas SeaWheeze tote ($23).

We munched on post-run treats like baby quiche, a warm waffle, and fresh fruit. Drank some coconut water and stretched out our calves. The slow walk back to the apartment took place on E. Hastings Street (you know the one…) – so thankfully, we kept our shoes tied and securely on our feet, for fear of stepping on a syringe.

We showered before we took naps… well, some of us did. Others just fell right onto the sofa and were fast asleep before it was their turn. #sweatycushions

We celebrated with Strongbow Cider and dark chocolate. Some of us wore compression socks because it’s a guilty pleasure after a long run. These are from Pro Compression in hot pink and yellow (get on their email list, typically they have 40% off and free shipping on a certain style each month!)

It’s an interesting thing to be spending a period of time in someone else’s home. The owner is a doctor and travels all over the world, he might even be a professor. The bookshelves near the master bed where we all piled in to play games and giggle looked something like this the whole weekend…

And his freezer looked similar to this…. the beverage of champions.

We napped, played games, had some drinks and giggled the rest of the afternoon away. Towards evening, we decided to dress up and head out for the night. My hair was something similar to The Princess Bride, up and off my neck, braided and wrapped in a loop.

An elevator shot of the group gives you an idea of how cool my friends are… wannabe Spice Girls anyone??

We found a little French dining hotspot on OpenTable called Tableau Bar & Bistro. The menus were beautiful (I’m a font lover), and we ordered drinks all around followed by a small party foul of spillage on the menu. We cheers to our beautiful day and a great evening of laughter and friends.

The appetizer we started with was some special avocado asparagus egg roll thing – divine. I ordered the Pappardelle & Mushroom Pastra – also divine.

For dessert we decided to walk our fullness off towards the gelato spot I remembered from last year’s SeaWheeze. We passed the Fairmont and had a moment of silence once more (that’s what you would do, right mama??)

Bella Gelateria always has a line out front. We’re 20 people back from the front door and it’s moving ssllooowwwwwwwww…. but that’s okay! A good 40 minutes later, we’re in the front door, placing our orders with mouthes watering. This gorgeous gentleman didn’t speak much English, and that’s okay… all I needed him to do was scoop the Salted Chocolate Gelato onto that cone and give me a smirk to make my lady parts quiver.

To die for. Unbelievably delicious. And expensive, but well worth it. We cheers’ed (again) to a beautiful run in a beautiful city. Our walk back to the apartment was met with a skyline to suit the Gods.